American Society for Reproductive Medicine: defining embryo donation

Building families through adoption of children has been supported by human society throughout history. Building families through reproductive donation of surplus embryos, in contrast, has become an option only since the dawn of assisted reproductive technologies. The ethical appropriateness of patients donating embryos to other patients for family building, or for research, including stem cell research, is well established and has been affirmed by this body and many others. (Fertil Steril (R) 2009;92:1818-9. (C)2009 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.)